Category: Friendships

As I considered books for my series, New Year; New Types of Friends, John Steinbeck’s, Of Mice and Men jumped onto the list. It’s been years since I read this novel but it sure fits the bill for this subset of examples of friendship in literature. Even though the setting is ranch life in the early 1930s, it parallels the struggles of many men today. It’s a story about how some people are driven to find friendship in order to escape from their loneliness. It also shows how a lifestyle of loneliness damages your relationships.  About The Book Published in 1937, Of Mice and Men narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression. Steinbeck based the story on his own experiences working alongside migrant farm workers

My first post for this subset of examples in literature covered the transformational friendship of The Inklings. I also referenced the first “modern novel” published in 1605, Don Quixote. Considered one of the greatest novels of all time, it appears on many lists of books about friendship I discovered during my research for this series, New Year; New Types of Friends. This epic Spanish story features the relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, who was a friend who helps keep things real, despite the trouble he causes. Now, I will admit that I don’t ever recall reading Don Quixote so I placed a hold for a copy at my local lbrary. But as I read excerpts and commentaries about the novel, I see why we need other men to help us remember reality when we become disillusioned. About The Book  Don Quixote is a Spanish novel written by Miguel

As I continue my series, New Year; New Types of Friends, I’ll move into examples of friendships in literature. From what is considered the first modern novel, the 1605 tome, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, to John Steinbeck’s 1937’s book Of Mice and Men, many of the best-loved works of fiction in history feature stories about friendships that help transform the main characters. More recent literary giants such as Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle, J.K. Rowling, and even cartoonist Bill Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes fame (yes, even comics are considered literature!) have added great works about friendships.  So let’s start this next subset of friendships from literature, with two authors, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, who sharpened their viewpoints and deepened their friendship in a discussion group called The Inklings. About C.S. Lewis  Clive Staples Lewis (born November 29, 1898; died November 22, 1963) was a British writer